M-50 bridge to be slid into place over I-96 this weekend

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                           THURSDAY, OCTOBER 9, 2014

 

CONTACT: John Richard, MDOT Office of Communications, 616-262-1565 richardj2@michigan.gov

           

M-50 bridge to be slid into place over

I-96 this weekend

 

- The new M-50 bridge over I-96 in Kent County will be slid into place this Friday night (see picture below).

- This is only the third slide-in bridge project in Michigan history.

- Innovative slide-in bridge projects have less of an impact on traffic, with typical road closures lasting only several days as opposed to several months.

 

October 9, 2014 -- The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT), along with prime contractor Anlaan Corp., will perform the state's first interchange bridge slide at the M-50 (Alden Nash Avenue)/I-96 interchange, making it the third bridge slide of the season and the third in Michigan history. The first two structures slid into place this year were the northbound and southbound US-131 bridges over 3 Mile Road in Mecosta County.

         "With the added challenges of replacing a bridge at a busy interchange, this project stands alone as an innovative first for MDOT," said MDOT Grand Region Engineer Roger Safford. "This project clearly demonstrates the value of this technology to significantly reduce construction impacts."

         "We commend MDOT and their crews for this inventive technique," said Lowell Township Supervisor Jerry Hale. "Replacing such a significant bridge without months of detours has saved our taxpayers a substantial amount of time and money."

     A traditional bridge replacement typically requires months of lane closures and detours. With this slide-in bridge method, the new bridge is assembled on temporary foundations adjacent to the existing structure and, once complete, slid into place. For the past couple of months, M-50 traffic has been shifted onto the east half of the new bridge in its temporary location. Now that the permanent foundations are finished, it's time to slide the new bridge into place.

         "We'll be pushing 4.5 million pounds of bridge approximately 72 feet to the east", said MDOT Engineer Charlie Stein. "Once in place, we'll reopen I-96 on Saturday and then work on reopening M-50 before Monday's morning rush."

         On Thursday, Aug. 14, more than 30 engineers from nine states came to Grand Rapids to see first-hand how MDOT is leading the way in advancing innovation in bridge construction in west Michigan. The event, sponsored by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), featured technical presentations from MDOT design and construction teams involved in the two projects. Attendees then went on-site to see how the two slide-in bridge projects were progressing.

         "There were several other construction projects in the vicinity that affected traffic this season, but this one has had very little impact on motorists," said Grand Rapids TSC Manager Erick Kind. "Other than the weekend for demolition and this weekend for the slide, replacing and widening the M-50 structure didn't hinder traffic. That's the beauty of bridge slide construction."

         For more information on slide-in bridge projects, including links to bridge slide animations, demolitions and a time-lapse, visit www.michigan.gov/bridgeslide.                       

 

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